Oxazoles are heterocyclic aromatic compounds containing one oxygen atom and one nitrogen atom, separated by a carbon atom. The presence of two heteroatoms (oxygen and nitrogen) provides possible interactions (hydrogen, hydrophobic, van der Waals or dipole bonds) with a wide range of receptors and enzymes. Oxazole rings are valuable heterocyclic scaffolds for the design of novel therapeutics with anticancer, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, and antidepressant properties due to their wide range of targets and biological activities.
Benzodioxanes are a class of isomeric compounds with the molecular formula C8H8O2. The three isomers of benzodioxane are 1,2-benzodioxane, 1,3-benzodioxane and 1,4-benzodioxane. 1,4-Benzodioxane has long been a versatile template widely used to design molecules with diverse biological activities. Its use spans past decades in medicinal chemistry to today, involving many drug discovery strategies, not excluding the most advanced ones. 1,4-Benzodioxane derivatives have been described as agonists and antagonists of nicotinic, alpha-adrenergic and 5-HT receptor subtypes. 1,4-Benzodioxane derivatives have been also reported as antitumor and antibacterial agents.